Animal Care & Control

Position Paper: Increasing Live Outcomes at the Fort Worth Animal Shelter

Posted Oct. 11, 2011
Updated Dec. 2, 2014

For the past several years the City of Fort Worth has been focused on increasing its animal shelter live release rate. While economic conditions have not been conducive to large-scale program enhancements, the city has demonstrated its commitment to this effort by successfully implementing several new initiatives that have had positive results.

Highlighting these new initiatives include:

Medical Treatment Ward

Volunteer Program

Stray Team

Enhanced preventive medicine protocols at the shelter.

On the near horizon are additional projects that are in-process:

Low/no-cost spay/neuter programs as a means to reduce pet overpopulation and the number of animals abandoned at area shelters.

Expansion of partnerships for the Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) program.

Bond package shelter expansion.

Development of a foster program.

The city enjoys strong partnerships with a diverse group of animal welfare agencies, including more than 100 local animal rescue groups. Efforts have been made to enhance these partnerships and provide incentives for rescue groups to make our shelter a desired partner. Part of these efforts include providing spay/neuter, vaccinations, and microchip services at no cost for every animal taken from our shelter by a rescue group.

Much has been accomplished, but there is much more to do. Our efforts to date have resulted in a significant increase in our shelter live release rate from 30 percent in 2009 to a high of 72.76 percent in November 2014 and a sustained average rate of 66.89 percent for the past year. Healthy, adoptable animals are now finding new homes; however, we continue to strive to save more shelter animals with illness, injury or temperament issues that are potentially manageable or treatable with additional time and resources.

Below is a detailed overview of the city’s ongoing plan to increase live outcomes with accomplishments to date specific to each objective.